Csonka’s NJPW Togi Makabe 20th Anniversary Show Review 2.21.17

Csonka’s NJPW Togi Makabe 20th Anniversary Show Review 2.21.17

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Tomoyuki Oka defeated Henare @ 2:49 via stoppage [NR]
– CHAOS (Gedo & Jado) vs. Suzukigun (TAKA Michinoku & El Desperado) @ 10:25 via submission [**]
– Suzukigun (Minoru Suzuki, Takashi Iizuka, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Taichi) defeated Katsuyori Shibata, Yuji Nagata, Jushin Thunder Liger & Tiger Mask IV @ 14:41 via pin [***]
– Hiroshi Tanahashi, Juice Robinson, KUSHIDA, Ryusuke Taguchi & David Finlay vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, EVIL, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI) @ 13:20 via pin [***]
– CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada, Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI) defeated NEW JAPAN DADS (Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima & Manabu Nakanishi) @ 12:20 via pin [***¼]
– Non-Title Match: GBH (Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma) defeated Champions CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano) @ 15:40 via pin [***½]

– we got a cool Makabe video package to open the show.

– Makabe cut a promo, thanking his fans.

– We then got a video of people sharing their thoughts on Makabe. Riki Choshu arrived to give him flowers and presumably share some kind words.

Henare vs. Tomoyuki Oka: Young Lions action to kick things off, as Henare and Oka look to be the next young lions feud. After some basic back and forth, both fired up with strikes and threw some bombs. Henare then dropped like a sack of bricks and the match was stopped; he suffered a lower leg injury (looked like he rolled an ankle) and had to be stretchered out, very unfortunate. Tomoyuki Oka defeated Henare @ 2:49 via stoppage [NR] Solid for what we got, hope Henare is ok, he’s my favorite young lion right now. Of note, that was Oka’s first singles win, he is now 1-8-1 in his young career.

CHAOS (Gedo & Jado) vs. Suzukigun (TAKA Michinoku & El Desperado): Jado and Desperado to begin, so this isn’t exactly starting well. Both guys were in dick mode, Jado worked chops and Desperado bailed to the floor. TAKA and Gedo in now, Gedo went Memphis with the jabs and an eye poke. TAKA took control as Jado and Desperado brawled to the floor. Desperado then laid the boots to Gedo in the corner, and took the heat. Quick tags from Suzikigun as they maintained control. We got some double teams and heel shenanigans like eye rakes, Jado sent to the floor as Desperado kept working over Gedo. Gedo finally fought back, taking down both opponents and tagging in Jado. He strolled wildly, tossed TAKA and scored a near fall on Desperado and posed. Desperado countered a suplex, and hit a running back elbow. TAKA in, sends Gedo to the floor and hits the running knee strike and another for the near fall. Desperado took Gedo to the floor, but Jado scored with a draping DDT for 2. Jado works the crossface, but TAKA rolls and counters into one of his own. Desperado holds Gedo back, but he fights him off and makes the save. Jado then taps TAKA with a crossface. CHAOS (Gedo & Jado) vs. Suzukigun (TAKA Michinoku & El Desperado) @ 10:25 via submission [**] This was solid, but lacked energy in the ring and from the crowd. It was ok.

Katsuyori Shibata, Yuji Nagata, Jushin Thunder Liger & Tiger Mask IV vs. Suzukigun (Minoru Suzuki, Takashi Iizuka, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Taichi): Suzukigun attacked before the bell and they brawled on the floor. Shibata and Suzuki tried to kill each other, while Taichi worked over Liger in the ring. Liger then fought off Taichi and Kanemaru but Iizuka tripped him up and pulled him to the floor. Suzuki and Shibata were still brawling, with Suzuki using a chair and attacking Shibata’s injured shoulder. Kanemaru tried to rip off Tiger Mask’s mask and then Taichi went after Liger’s mask. Suzukigun then took the heat on Liger as Suzuki beat don Tiger Mask on the floor. Iizuka sent Nagata to the floor as they kept the heat on Liger, Suzuki worked a hanging arm bar on the apron, allowing Kanemaru to then hit a DDT for the near fall. Iizuka is molasses like in here; Liger hit a palm strike and got the hot tag to Nagata, who worked kicks on Iizuka. Nagata took out the knee, and went for the arm bar and Taichi in to rake the eyes and make the save. Suzuki in, knocks Shibata to the floor and battles with Nagata. Shibata tags himself in, and kicks the shit out of Suzuki and then delivers repeated forearms and the corner dropkick. This has been the best part of the match. Suzuki blocked a kick and landed forearm strikes, but that just pissed off Shibata. They threw bombs, but Suzuki locked in the knee bar. Suzukigun cleared out the faces, Shibata looked to escape but Suzuki maintained the hold. Shibata made the ropes. Suzuki tried the PK, Shibata avoided that and they traded kicks and did a double down. Kanemaru and Tiger Mask tagged in, they worked a fun stretch and it broke down. Tiger Driver on Kanemaru but Taichi made the save. Kanemaru went after the mask, but Tiger Mask hit a tombstone. Iizuka distracted the ref, sleeper by Suzuki on Shibata as Taichi hit Tiger Mask with the cane, allowing Kanemaru to hit the DDT off the ropes for the win. Suzukigun (Minoru Suzuki, Takashi Iizuka, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Taichi) defeated Katsuyori Shibata, Yuji Nagata, Jushin Thunder Liger & Tiger Mask IV @ 14:41 via pin [***] This was a good match and strong win for Suzukigun; it also laid the ground work for Shibata vs. Suzuki, which I am all about. Their interactions were awesome.

Hiroshi Tanahashi, Juice Robinson, KUSHIDA, Ryusuke Taguchi & David Finlay vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, EVIL, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI): The latest edition of Tanahashi and friends vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon sees Finlay returning from injury. Taguchi and Takahashi to begin, which is what I think this will be mainly about. Takahashi countered the first ass attack, but Taguchi got the ankle lock and Takahashi bailed to the floor. SANADA and KUSHIDA in now, SANADA over powers him early, but KUSHIDA uses some nice counter wrestling to battle back. SANADA is fast though and can keep up with him. that is until KUSHIDA locks in an arm bar. Juice tags in, and then we get quick tags from Tanahashi and friends and it breaks down into the typical LIJ floor brawl. we get the BUSHI shirt choke spot as they isolate Finlay. That’s a change, it’s usually KUSHIDA. Finlay fires up and tries to fight off all of LIJ, but Naito cuts him off. EVIL then targets the injured shoulder of Finlay, working the arm and grounding him. Finlay manages a dropkick, Tanahashi tags in and runs wild on EVIL. Dropkicks to EVIL follow and Tanahashi hits the senton onto EVIL for 2. They work back and forth, there’s a slip in there and then EVIL hits a lariat for the double down. Takahashi in now, he eats a jab and Taguchi tags in and hits ass attacks. He runs wild with repeated ass attacks, and goes for the ankle lock, but Takahashi escapes to the floor. Enziguri by Taguchi, but Takahashi counters an ass attack into a German. Naito and Juice tag in, Juice runs wild for a bit but eats a tornado DDT and BUSHI tags in and hits a missile dropkick. LIJ clears the ring, rapid-fire offenses on Juice follows for a near fall. Juice counters MX, but eats a kick. Juice hits the pop up gut buster and it breaks down. Dives by Tanahashi and friends follow, and Juice pins BUSHI with pulp friction. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Juice Robinson, KUSHIDA, Ryusuke Taguchi & David Finlay vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, EVIL, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI) @ 13:20 via pin [***] This was another good match, although a little clunky at times. This worked to set up Taguchi vs. Takahashi and to give Juice momentum as he works back to Goto and the NEVER title.

#NJPW #Makabe20th pic.twitter.com/TXVkHT4g4A

— LARIATOOOO!!! (@MrLARIATO) February 21, 2017

NEW JAPAN DADS (Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima & Manabu Nakanishi) vs. CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada, Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI): HASHI and Nakanishi to begin, HASHI goes on the attack but Nakanishi uses his power game, or as I like to call it, standing there like a wall. Nakanishi hits a flying forearm and then a splash for 2. Tenzan in now, and he wants Okada. Tenzan works the double chops, and then connects with head butts. Kojima in, they clear out CHAOS and take turns working over Okada, mixing in some double teams. Okada fights back with a DDT and neck breaker as Goto tags back in. He works over Tenzan and tags in HASHI, as they isolate Tenzan in their corner. Goto continues the attack, grounding Tenzan. Tenzan battles back, hits chops and then hits the Samoan drop (HE’S NOT EVEN SAMOAN!). Kojima gets the hot tag, rapid-fire chops follow to Goto. Kojima runs wild, hits the top rope elbow drop and covers for 2. Goto cuts him off, Okada tags in and sends Nakanishi and Tenzan to the floor; he and Kojima battle back and forth with Okada running into a koji cutter for the double down. Nakanishi tags in, works over Okada and hits the spear. He clears CHAOS to the floor, fires up with his dance and hits a clothesline on Okada for 2. Nakanishi looks for the rack, but it breaks down. CHAOS looks to triple team him, but somehow Nakanishi is too fast for them. HASHI saves Okada from the rack, he then runs wild on the dads, Ushigoroshi by Goto and then Okada counters the rack, but Nakanishi counters the rainmaker for the near fall. Dropkick by Okada, up top, elbow drop connects and RAINMAKER POSE! Rainmaker on Nakanishi and that is that. CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada, Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI) defeated NEW JAPAN DADS (Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima & Manabu Nakanishi) @ 12:20 via pin [***¼] This was also good, and the best thing on the show by a little bit. The New Japan Dads were game, but didn’t have enough to overcome the youth of CHAOS. This was really fun.

GBH (Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma) vs. Champions CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano): This crowd wanted Makabe to kill Yano, so he attacked right away, causing Yano to tag out to Ishii. Makabe and Ishii charged at each other like rams, and then traded forearms and strikes. Honma tagged in, missed a kokeshi (you’re shocked I am sure) as Yano sent Makabe to the floor. Ishii then took control, beating down Honma. Yano largely just annoyed Makabe, but his shenanigans allowed Honma to make a comeback. Makabe connected with corner clotheslines, as he and Honma followed with stereo northern lights suplexes. We got some floor brawling, with Ishii trying to murder Honma. Yano choked out Makabe with a chair, allowing he and Ishii to take the heat. Ishii was in full gives no fucks mode, just beating down Makabe. Ishii sent Honma to the floor and Yano choked out Makabe with his wrist tape. Yano exposed the buckle and shot Makabe to the exposed steel, maintaining his control. Ishii is just an ass kicking machine, but Makabe fires up and starts to no sell the attacks. Ishii lights him up, but Makabe takes him out of his boots with the lariat. Honma gets the hot tag, runs wild and misses a kokeshi. Honma keeps fighting back, hits the blockbuster and gets a near fall on Ishii. They trade strikes center ring, and Ishii then hits the dead lift suplex. Yano tags back in, but Honma fights off the champions and hits falling kokeshis. Hot tag to Makabe, but Yano rakes the eyes. Makabe says fuck off and plants him with a German. It breaks down, lariats for all; Ishii heads butts Makabe into a roll up by Yano for 2. Yano grabs the ref, low blow to Honma and then hits a powerbomb onto Makabe for 2. Makabe fights off both until Yano takes the ref, hits a low blow and grabs the chain. Makabe fights them off, gets his chain and lariats both Yano and Ishii with it. Diving kokeshi by Honma, Makabe hits the spider German on Yano and follows with the king Kong knee drop for the win. GBH (Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma) defeated Champions CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano) @ 15:40 via pin [***½] This was a very good, hard hitting tag match that also sets up GBH for a shot at the tag titles, and sends the crowd home happy as Makabe wins on his special night.

– Makabe cuts a promo post match, Honma looks so happy for him.

– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”